Step Aside
by MeredithBrody
Summary: Brody starts pulling back from James, and he admits he knew it was coming all along. (both Brody/James and Prody)


**So, my friend Ana and I watch this Welsh-language soap opera together called "Pobol y Cwm", and because we got behind we marathoned like 8 straight episodes. The problem was that, in the middles of these episodes, they split up our favourite couple. Now we put two and a half years of emotional investment in this couple, so we sat shouting "NO THIS IS BULLSHIT"... but the one good thing that came out of it, and that was the quote that inspired this oneshot. So, now you heard the backstory, on with the actual story. And yes, it is another posted today, I just couldn't sit on this one. I hate sitting on oneshots. It annoys me. Anyways. Please read and review as always.  
Shin xx**

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 ** _"You don't have to sleep with someone to be unfaithful"_ \- ****Jinx**

James was beginning to get used to feeling like he was on the outside of his own relationship. The distance that had developed between them the last few weeks was now becoming more pronounced. This date night had really proven to him that even when they were together, he and Merri weren't as close as they'd once been. "You've been distant lately?" He asked softly as they walked along the street near Merri's house. He had his own apartment, and he'd been spending more and more time there.

"Sorry, it's been busy, and I've been having a lot of late nights at work." She defended, tucking her hair behind her ears the way she did when she wasn't sure how to answer something. The problem was that James wasn't mad, or even jealous. He knew that Merri had withdrawn, and that was a sign to him.

"I saw LaSalle when I was doing a nightclub shoot the other day." She looked up at him a little shocked. He hadn't intended to run into anyone from Merri's work. They had separated that part of their work well, but it was still only one city, and he couldn't avoid them forever. "He mentioned you and Pride had been pulling a lot of late nights recently."

"You're not thinking I'm sleeping with Pride again, are you?" She accused, and no matter the distance there was currently between them, he knew her better than that. In most cases, she wasn't a cheater. He had lead her astray once, and they had both regretted that, even if it had lead to them being here.

"No." He answered lightly. Wondering if she would leave it at that. That was almost certainly too much to ask for. After a few more steps she tugged his hand until he stopped in front of her.

"But?" She pressed, and he realised that as well as he could read her, she could read him too. That was often a blessing, but right now it was a curse. He'd secretly hoped that he could forget this train of thought, but he couldn't.

He sighed, wondering how best to say what he was thinking here. She wasn't cheating in the traditional sense, but she was definitely looking elsewhere for support. "You don't have to be sleeping with someone to be unfaithful, MB." He hoped that she'd realise he was talking about the emotions. She hadn't come to him for them in a long time.

"Gods, James. I thought this was working." She groaned, looking at him in the reflected light of the street lamp and frowned. Merri had often buried her head in the sand when an issue came up, but he was certain even she had noticed what had been happening recently.

"It was, but I'm not the one you think of when you need help." He knew that he wasn't. He never had been. Not since she'd lived in New Orleans. She had been thinking about someone else. That was alright, he could live with that, but right now he just wanted to know where he stood. "You would rather go to him than me."

"He's my friend, Jay." She mumbled, and that told him maybe more than she'd intended it to. She wouldn't have answered that way if she wasn't avoiding something. She was afraid, and he didn't know what of.

"Do you love him?" He asked, just wanting an answer. Maybe he was more aware of the problems in this relationship than she was. Maybe he had more invested in this working out than she did. All he knew was that this relationship was struggling, and at least if there was some other emotions involved, he could deal with that.

"What?" She snapped slightly, and that was a huge giveaway. It was as though she had completely forgotten how well they did know each other, even with the current distance. Either that or she was still a little in denial.

"Be honest with me. You owe me that much." He would beg her for that if he needed. Merri had a habit of looking away when she was lying. Looking at anything but who she was talking to. That's what she was doing now.

"I love you." She squeezed his hands and came up to him, wrapping her arms around him for a moment. He didn't doubt that, not or a second. But he was certain that while she loved him, there was someone she loved more.

"But you love him too." He said quietly, dropping his voice in the light of the people walking past, and the fact they were beside a house now, and he didn't know if there were children or the elderly living in it. Not that he felt much need to argue anyway. This was coming, whether they had planned for it or now.

"Yeah. I guess." She finally admitted it, and rather than anger or jealousy, all James felt was a resigned acceptance and understanding. After the last few years, how little he'd been there when her sister had died and the issues on the _Moultrie_ , he probably should have known this was coming. Merri clearly wanted to clarify it too. "He's been there, James. All the times you weren't because you were on one assignment or another."

He deserved that. Leaving her for assignments had begun long before they'd made New Orleans their home base. Almost as long they'd known each other he'd been leaving her for assignments, and he did regret that, but it was the nature of his profession, and she'd claimed to understand that at the time. "Meredith. I know you love me, but my question now is, would he make you happy?"

"James." She sighed and shook her head. He did feel bad for putting it all on her, but Meredith knew what she needed better than anyone else. If she could look at him and tell him sincerely that he was all she needed he would be over the moon, but he wasn't that naive.

"I'm clearly not enough, and that's OK. I will love you for an eternity..." He trailed off, breaking his own heart telling her this. He didn't want to push her into the arms of another man, but he was who she needed. "But if he is better for you, be it that you're emotionally closer to him, then you should go that way."

"What if he doesn't want me back?" She asked almost silently, and James almost couldn't believe she was asking him that. The three times he had met Merri's boss, it had been obvious that he was nuts about her. James wasn't really sure that she'd take that answer too kindly.

"Then you rolled the dice and lost, but at least you tried." That was important in relationships, and in life. You needed to take chances, and James knew that Merri needed to take this one, but he also knew her well enough that he knew she'd need prodding to do it. "My bet, though, is that you and he feel exactly the same for each other."

"You're not mad?" She asked, and he just shook his head. He really wasn't. He was sad, and a little disappointed. But maybe he'd known for long enough that this was coming that it didn't matter anyway. He had never been angry. Just resigned to the fact he had blown his chance with her.

"No. I've known this was coming for a while." He wanted to let her know that he loved her, and that the last year since they'd gotten back together hadn't been a waste. "I love you, Meredith, and when you gave me a second chance a year ago I made it my goal to try and prove to you that I was worth loving back, and we've had a great time together." They really had, he wouldn't change what they'd done together, or how happy they'd been. "But you need more than I can give, and I can't give any more."

"James, what are you saying?" She asked, and he wondered how she truly felt, and if she thought that this was a good idea too.

What was he saying though. He needed to give her an answer, something more elegant than 'we're done'. "I'm saying that..." He stopped and swallowed, unable to believe that he was actually telling her this. "I'm saying that I'm stepping aside for him."

"You are a really great guy." She stepped up and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He held her back and wondered if this was the last time he'd get to hold her this closely. Merri was a catch for anyone, and James was genuinely thankful for the time they'd spent together. He just wanted her to be happy. "Thank you."

"Invite me to the wedding OK?" He asked. Genuinely sure that they'd be there in another year or two. He would be honoured to attend her wedding, especially as he had stepped aside. As long as Merri was happy he was too.

"I will." She smiled and kissed his cheek then stepped back. She kept hold of his hand still, and he realised that she was still waiting for him to let her go, and he was all too happy to do that after this conversation.

"Go." Was all he had left to say. He knew that this was the best for her, and the truth of the matter was that he wanted what was best for Merri. He had always wanted what was best for her, and for the longest time he thought that had been him. Now he knew better, and Pride was who and what she needed. He could step aside for that.


End file.
